Bond for electric railways



(No Model.)

P. T. NEWBERY. BOND FOR ELEGTRIG RAILWAYS.

No. 584,644. Patented June 15, 1897.

v mmwm [Vim asses- Uni-inn STATES FREDERICK T. NEIVBERY, OF SANFRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

BOND FOR ELECTRIC RAILWAYS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 584,644, dated June 15,1897.

Application filed August 25,1894. Serial No. 521,331. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FREDERICK T. NEW- BERY, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing in the city and county of San Francisco, State ofCalifornia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bondsfor Electrical Railways; and I hereby declare the followingspecification and the drawings herewith to be a complete description ofmy invention and the method of applying the same.

My invention relates to bonding or connectin g the rails of electricalrailways so they will form a continuous and direct conductor for thereturn-current from electric motors employed for propulsion.

My improvements consist in inserting; a dowel or conductor in therail-joints, preferably a short cylindrical section of copper fittingfirmly the whole length in holes drilled in the ends of the rails, soproportioned and so inserted as to preserve the continuity of the railsand forming therewith a metallic mass as an electrical conductor throughthe cou pled joints, and so this electric connection will be safe frominjury or derangement and preserved from the atmosphere and moisture.

The object of my invention is to avoid ground-currents of electricityand the consequent electrolysis of pipes or other metalwork exposed tothe action of return-currents on railways electrically operated anddepending on the ways as a conductor for such return-currents.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a sectionof two rails joined according to my invention. Fig. 2 is an end View ofone of the rails, showing the holes to receive the dowels orconnectingconductors forming the bond between the rails. Fig. 3 is acentral vertical section parallel to the axis of the rails, showing theconnecting-dowels in position. Fig. 4 is an en larged side view of oneof the connectingdowels drawn, approximately, to the size suitable forrails of seventy pounds weight for each yard of their length.

The rails A A are shown of the common form employed, the ends beingclosely abutted at O, and fish-plates B, applied on each side, heldbyrivets or bolts to in the usual manner for giving stability at thejoint and securing alinement of the rails A A.

In the ends of the rails A A are formed holes E, preferably two in.number, in the thickest portions of the rails section, as shown in Figs.2 and 3. In these holes are inserted dowels D, preferably of copper orother metal of a high conducting power, upset or expanded so as to fitwith clean surfaces metal to metal the whole length of the pin in eachrail, as shown in Fig. 3.

As a close fit and perfect contact between the metal of the rails A andthat of the conducting-dowels D is desirable, these dowels are mademinutely larger in diameter than the holes they are to fill, and areforced in by pressure on the rail or in any suitable mannor to insureabsolute contact over the surfaces, and thus prevent oxidation, theadmission of air or water, and to prevent movement.

The section of the dowels or connections D is dependent upon theconductivity of the metal employed and is made large enough so thepotential of the electric current will not vary in passing the coupledjoints. Two of these dowels are shown in the drawings, but it is evidentthat a single one, if of sufiicient section, applied in the same manner,will accomplish a like result. Thus it will be seen that the bond orelectrical connection between the rails is direct and complete, distanceeliminated, and the medium of conduction concealed within the contour ofthe rails is protected from all agencies or causes that damage ordestroy such connections. It will also be seen that in a line of rails.arranged according to my invention the current is not impeded and thepotential is uniform dowels are forced into position under a strongpressure, so that they are thereby powerfully The surfaces, therefore,which compressed.

were bright and perfect When united, will remain in that condition underall circumstances as long as the structural integrity of the massremains. Therefore, as a path for the electric fluid or current, thebond will remain perfect, unaffected by the volume or character of thesaid current.

Having thus described the nature and obj ects of my invention, also themanner of con structing and applying the same, What I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is

In combination with railway-rails WllOSO

